Ceperley Rounsfell Building

Designed by Sharp and Thompson, 1921, the building is a rare example in Vancouver of the Georgian Revival style. The interior was originally built with a large double height hall, which has since been filled in with a second floor. Many of the interior decorations, however, remain and are designed in an Imperial Roman style complete with vegetable motifs and inset decorative panels in the walls.

Ceperley Rounsfell and Company, which was a real estate and insurance company, founded in the year of incorporation of the City of Vancouver, 1886. Originally based in Gastown, the company grew and its success allowed it to have this structure built in 1921. After the First World War the financial and business district began to shift toward Burrard Street as the Canadian Pacific Railway focused its attention on the area. The company went on to become one of the province’s largest real estate and insurance firms.

Henry T. Ceperley, of Ceperley Rounsfell and Company, is also valued, not only as a successful businessman, but also for his other activities in the city. An early realtor in the area, Ceperley encouraged Van Horne of the Canadian Pacific Railway to propose the creation of Stanley Park to the west of Vancouver’s Downtown. The proposal was successful and created one of the largest urban parks in the country. Ceperley is commemorated within the park at Ceperley Park, a children’s playground within Stanley Park.

Source

Canada's Historic Places

More information

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10825&pid=0